subject: Those Dang Construction Trucks [print this page] I hate getting caught behind a truck filled with dirt, gravel and filler, inevitably I get a rock chip on my windshield. I have tried getting them patched, filled and glued but eventually they seem to all end up cracking especially when the weather has a dramatic change.
Article Body: We live in an area where there is a gravel pit within 10 miles of our home, so riding on the freeway it isn't unusual to get stuck behind a large, white construction truck filled with dirt and gravel. I try to keep my distance, I try to change lane, I try everything to avoid being hit by a piece of debris and having my windshield chipped, no no avail, it always happens, I hear the notorious sound of a rock hitting the windshield. I try to go immediately to one of those rock chip repair centers and get it sealed as soon as possible. This does help and can either stop or delay the inevitable crack. Auto glass shops in Newark, New Jersey are adapt at fixing the chips and have helped me several times.
I thought there were suppose to be laws against running around in trucks filled with dirt without covers. I sometimes see a tarp blowing in the wind, but that is certainly not helpful. I work for an auto insurance agency. The number one call we get from clients is where do I go in Newark for a goo auto glass shop and its related questions, what are my deductibles for windshield replacement and repair.
We get two to one calls about windshield than accidents. So, I guess I am not alone in my windshield chipping problems.
I have tried calling the construction companies whose names are listed on the back of the trucks, but this has never proved profitable. I think there must be people who just follow the trucks purposefully trying to get a rock to hit their car to make a claim because the people at the construction companies, gravel companies or trucking companies have yet to be helpful.
Weather can make a major difference in the durability of a repaired windshield. Sometimes in the spring and fall the temperatures can plummet or raise 40 degrees in a day. I had a crack develop once on a hot day when I turned the cold water from the hose on my car to wash it, crack went the window. So if you have a repair be careful about sudden temperature changes. Getting stuck behind a truck filled with gravel is never a good idea, but if you do, and you get a chip, get it fixed as soon as possible and avoid sudden, dramatic changes in the temperature on your car.
by: Art Gib
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